The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-04-21
THE STEEL WORKS STRIKE.
r. O'MaIley Discusses Several Of lis
Phases,
And Makes Some Severe and scathlnE
Comments on some Of the Work
men Who are Members Of the
Knights of Labor.

Mr.. T. 7. O'Malley, Of Canton. travel
ing agent for the Pittsburg National
Labor Tribune, writes his paper the fol
lowing letter about the recent strike at
the Bolton Steel Works In this city:
CANTON, O., April IA.
Editors National L Dor Trlbune:-rhe
strike at the Bolton Steel Works, OF this
R''y, Ia still on, though some scabs are
working, and are being taught by the
high wage members Of the Steel WORK
ers' Assembly, who, to console them
selves and stifle their c0nsciences, are
doing all In their power to make II
appear that those who are out went out
Illegally and without authority. Not
only that, but they have been visiting
sOme of the other assemblies and doing
all In their power to have them pass
vote of censure on those who are out
In one they would have sueeeeded, and
had the district Off 'ers notified to take
some action In regard to 1t, and even in
timsted about the charter being taken
away, had not the M. W. OF the Steel
Workers Assembly dropped in and pre-
vented action by putting their proper
position before the assembly then In
session, aud which reversed the view
which has been presented to them.
Talk about the aristOeracy of labor. Il
has always baen supposed that 1t was all
In the high wage trades unions, and
outside Of the K. Of L., who claim to be
fighting 1t, but my experience has
proven very plainly that there Is s5
much arlst3cracy inside ss there ts out
side, and IL Is hard to remove. Men may
talk about "pOOr, suffering humanity"
all they please, but actions speak lonaer
than words. Why some Of these 30 a
day men, who are crushing their poorer
paid men by teaching scabs to fill their
places, pose as social, labor and political
refOrmeTsl
Some who were lOudest In talking about
coming out, and some Of whom would
swear the mill ought 20 be blown up,
were the first ones to go back and take
some other mans work at little better
psy than they themselves were getting,
and are assisting to teach others to do
their work, 80 that during the past week
1t has taken twenty men-prOprietOr,
superintendent, foreman, clerks and
others includet-to do the work Of nine
men who have quit, and made failure
of the work into the bargain. 1t will
not take long for the Bolton steel works
operators to recognize the fact that q
small advance would be not only a bene-
fit to their wOrkmen, but would pay
large,profits In comparison with their
present method of doing business. 1t
will take them long while to get men
to fill the places of those now out, about
45 In number-65 instead OF 70 being the
number that came out.
Many who are working claim they did
not know what action was taken, as 1t
was decided when they we're not present
at the assembly meetings. 8. This is the
verlest kind of bOsh, for the present
action has been pending and talked of
for over two months to my knowledge,
and every member Of the assembly had |
full opportunity to speak his opinion |
during that time. Having been able to |
visit the assembly often when at home,
have advised them In many things.
There was some understanding on the |
part Of the employers and the men that |
they should work some overtime to help |
them out with some contracts on the |
big mill until the first Of April. Some |
Of the little mill men had the same |
thing to do, but objected unless they got |
extra pay for 1t a1d requested the firm /
to grant them some advance, but the |
firm stated they could not do so. as they |
had taken the contracts at 80 low mir-
gin that they we're not making any
thing, and " they had to give more they
would either have to work at a loss or
shut down the works and forfeit the
contracts. Under these circumstances /
advised the men to work on until the /
first of April, which they did. During
the agitstiOn Of these things have seen
some of these high paid men who are
now working come into the assembly
when the business was more than half
over primed full to the mouth with loud,
talkative beer and whisky and demand
what had been done about the question
of wages. saw one come up one even
ing when the L. A. was just closing and
demand In loud tones why the business
of the assembly was rushed through
before he came, as 1t was understood
the question of demanding an advance
was to have been discussed that even
Ing. Hence II visitor, not member
Of the assembly, knew what was going
to be done the member who did not show
himself is a very Door light.
A few days before the first OF April
the committee from the assembly tried
to see the owner Of the mill to notify
him Of the demand, But he kept himself
out of the way, and could not be seen
until the men we're out, When they
were out he said he would have moth
ing to do with a committee of the
Knights of Labor, and II they came to
his office he would order them out. On
Saturday the men we're notified to come
and get their wages individually be-
tween the hours of three and five
o'clock .. m. He took advantage Of this
to talk to some of the men, and tell
them they could come to work as indi-
and that they we're foolish to
belong to the order, as 1t was bursting
all over the country, and would soon be
gone up and sink out Of sight alto
gether.
Yours for the poor paid laborer of this
country. whether In or out Of the order
of K of T.. IT O'MALIEY